Heart of Darkness/Part 1: Prologue
Prologue (Kevin) It was 14:00 when I pulled into Georgetown, but you wouldn’t have known it from the stormclouds. The constant drizzle of rain didn’t match the thundering of the skies. Heaven Beside You was playing on the radio. It’s moments like this that made me feel the world found ways to send me signs, even though I knew better. My taxi driver must have seen the look on my face, because he turned it up, ever so slightly. “Cheers, mate,” I said just loud enough for him to hear. He gave me a nod of approval. My driver seemed like an all-around decent lad. He was nice enough to respect my wishes for a silent ride. I hadn’t talked to him or asked him any questions, and I didn’t plan to, as tempting as it was. The job at hand was probably going to be bleak enough, and there was no reason to look for more darkness in the world. Asking questions would lead to the same thing as always. The cab pulled up to the curb, as the man’s phone blurbed out, “you have arrived at your destination.” The Wallflower Hotel’s Grey stone matched the tone of Georgetown itself. Somber and dull. “Here we are.” I slowly sat up from my slouch and stretched myself out, opening my door and stepping out into the rain. I could tell one of the man’s sins was smoking, so the breath of fresh air was much needed. I pulled my bag from the other side of the car and plopped it onto the ground. Reaching into my leather jacket pocket, I walked up to his window pulled out two hundred dollar bills and handed them to him. As the driver reached out to grab the money, I saw something pathetic in his eyes. As much time as I’d spent fighting the urge, that look put me into a corner. I had to know what that was, just then, even if it made drove me over the edge. I focus and the world around me ceases. A man stumbling out of a bar in the dark of night. He arrives at a shithole apartment to a woman living in fear. Blow after blow, knocking her back and forth. Holding her down and forcing himself on her. I awoke again, and my expression changed entirely. As he snatched the money, I snatched up his collar and looked deep into his eyes, glaring. His slightly sunken-in eyes flared up. “What the fuck, man-” It took me a short while to control and compose myself, but I found a way. “I don’t care what kind of shit you’ve got. You touch someone like that again…I will find you…and cut off your goddamn dick myself.” I let go of his collar and turned around to the hotel, not looking back. “Fuck you!” he shouted. Next thing I could hear was the screeching of tires and smell the burning of rubber beneath the scent of the rain on water. I sighed as I walked towards the entrance. Pathetic, Shaw…couldn’t control yourself, could you? Yes, it was a moment of weakness - one of many, recently. Maybe that was just years of doing what I do finally starting to crack through my shell. I sure hoped not, because the job coming up would mean big bucks, and if I couldn’t keep it together…well, who knows what might happen. Trivia *First appearance of Kevin Shaw. Category:Heart of Darkness Category:Issues